Apparatus for controlling gas-lamps.



G. HIMMEL. APPARATUS Fon ooNTBoLLING GAS LAMPS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 15,1908.

Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

GOTTLOB HIMMEL, OF TUEBINGEN, GERMANY.

APPARATUS FOB CONTROLLING GAS-LAMPS.

Specification ol' Letters Patent.

Application led May 15, 1908. Serial No. 433,100.

\ Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GOTTLoB HIMMEL, a citizen of the German Empire, residing at Tuebingen, in the Kingdom of Wrtemberg, Empire of Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus Jfor Controlling Gas-Lam s; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description oia the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which 1t a pertains to make and use the same.

T is invention consists in improvements in apparatus for o erating devices for controlling gas lam s rom a distance, whereby a part or all oft e gas llames ma belighted and extinguished from any suitab e central point 1n any desired series, at any desired moment by means of a pressure impulse in the as duct.

The improved apparatus is applicable to gas lamps in streets as well as in railway stations, factories and other localities where a lar e number of as flames have to be lighted an extinguished at times. With such gas installations it is fre uently required that a part of the lamps sha1 be extinguished say about midnight, while the other part needs extinguishing only at dawn. This object is effected in the improved a paratus by means of a pressure impulse. n order that the lighting device shall-operate with absolute certaint all the movable parts are guided positive y, and no liquid seals, pinions, &c., are employed. The diaphragm is suitably weighted for the purpose of regulating at will the pressure under which the apparatus is` to work.

In the drawings, Figure l is an elevation partly in vertical section of the improved controlling a paratus ap lied to a device for lighting gas ames at a istance, in which a cock is employed as the obturating member. Fig. 2 is an elevation partly in vertical section of the up er part of the lighting device, with a plug va ve as the obturating member. Figs. 3 to 5 are elevations illustrating three dilierent positions of the operating mechanism shown separately. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the mechanism for operating the cock or the valve. Fig. 7 is a plan partly in horizontal section, of a further improved disk for operating the valve.

The controlling mechanism serves to open or to shut off the supply of gas to the burners which are of ordina construction, provided with permanently pldot flames or other igniting means. A

1 is a box containing a dia hragm 2 of leather or the like shown in its e ressed position. Upon the diaphragm, 2, there rests a plate, 3, on which a vertical rod, 4, is mounted so as to be ca able of being easily rotated. This rod exten s through a guide part, 5, which also carries a rotating actuating device 6 (Figs. 3 to 5). To the up er en of the rod, 4, is fixed a disk, 8, fitte with a lurality of radial arms, 7, that vary in num er according to requirements. This disk, 8, has a sleeve, 9, formed with a longitudinal slot, 10, in which is a cross pin 11 that is fixed on the round spindle, 12. This s indle, 12, thus gears with the sleeve 9 an is fixed to the cock lug, 13 (Fig. 1) in the cock casing, 14. The p ug, 13, is pressed by a spring, 19, on to its seat, and the spring and the plug are held together by a screw cap, 20.

14 is a head carried by the gas supply pipe, 15, branching from the screw litting 16, that also carries the diaphragm box, 1. The gas is thus admitted under the diaphragm, 2, as well as to the cock, 13. In iront ofthe cock, 13, there is la ipe, 17, through which as is sup lied to t e pilot flame. Behin the coc 13, there is a pipe, 18, which supplies the gas to the mai-n ame of the burner. In Fig. 1, the gas supply is shown open to the pipe, 18, namely to the main flame of the burner. Y

Now the present invention consists in producing rotation of the rod, 4, simultaneously with its upward movement. The s indie, 12, with the cock, 13, will be rotated t rough exactly the same angle as the rod. This rotation is effected by means oi' the operating device 6 located on the support, 5, and shown more fully in Figs. 3 to 5.

Fig. 3 shows the device in the position of rest, i. e., at the end of the descent of the rod, 4. Two arms, 7, of the disk, 8, are engaged in recesses of the operating part, 21, that is mounted on a pivot, 26, on the support, 5, (Fig. 1) and is provided with a tiping weight, 28. Above this part, 21, is a ever 22, which is pivoted at, 27, and is provided with a tipping weight, 29. A stop, 23, limits the movement of the lever, 22 and stops, 24 and 25, limit the movement of the operatin part, 21. The support, 5, is omitted for t e sake of clearness in Figs. 3 to 5. In the rest position, radial arms 7 of the disk, 8, are engaged in recesses of the operating part, 21, and the lever, 22, lies against the stop, 23. `COnSequentlythe waymiswclear for the arm, 7 a to move in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 3) during the ascent of the rod, 4. If now the rod, 4, be raised by the diaphragm, the arm 7 a will slide up in the direction of the arrow. When the arm, 7a has been raised \(as shown inAFig. 4) to a height such that the triangular point of the operating part, 21V, is no longer held back by it, the said part, 21, is tipped over by its weight, 28, against the stop 25 and assumes the position shown in Fig. 4. rlhe arm, 7 a has then left the right-hand side of the tri angular point and attained its highest position. When the movement is in the downward direction, the arm 7EL slides down'along the left hand side of the triangle (Fig. 5) into the osition which was previously occupied by the arm 7, that is to say, the rod, 4, and with it the plug, 13, has been rotated through an angle, equal in the example shown, to onesixth of a complete revolution. rIhe cock is now opened or closed as the case may be. The arm 7 b which comes into operation after the arm 7 a is at first able to slide down without hindrance, but when it reaches the lower position (Fig. 5), it presses the lower end of the lever, 22, in the direction of the arrow and slides past it into its seat. The lever, 22, is moved back by its ti ping weight, 29, and the parts have returne into'the position shown in Fig. 3, except that arm 7o is now occupying the place previously occupied by arm 7 a. The next pressure impulse in the gas main repeats the operationv and on the .sixth impulse the arm 7 a returns into its initial position.

From the foregoing it will be seen that all the movements are eifected by positive means so that it is impossible in the case of adequate pressure, for insuiiicient movements to take place.

A valve, 30 (Fig. 2) may be employed in the stead of a cock. In such an arrangement the upward and rotary movements take place as hereinbefore described, the valve being operated so as to close the gas supply, 18,'in its lowered position, while the gas has unrestricted access tothe pilot jet supply, 17. The upper part of the valve, 30, is formed with a conical valve face, 31, which, when the valve is opened, is moved up against the upper valve seat, 32, 'so as to prevent escape of gas to the outside. This double valve is raised and lowered by means of the lever, 37, mounted on an axle, 33. The arm, 38, Vof this lever, 37, carries a counter-weight 34 arranged to fall to the right or to the left and by its preponderance to press the valve, 30, against its lower seat or 1ts upper seat as the case may be. On the upper end, 4, of the upward extension of the rod, 4, is a horizontal disk, 35, provided with three pins, 36, 36B' and 36h, projectin parallel to the aXis of the disk and space at equal distances in a circle concentric with the disk. s the disk rotates, one or otherof these pins happens to be situated under the right or left arm of the lever, 37, so as, in coperation with the counterweight, 34, to throw the said lever over to the right or to the left and thereby close or open the valve 30 accordingly, that is to say, extinguish or ignite the burner llame. By employing a correspondingly altered arrangement of the pins, different series of burners (day and night burners) can be controlled. This valve arrangement thus edects-the same ob'ect as the cock hereinbefore described.

vf desired, the horizontal Vvcockmay be conveniently interposed between the gas supply and the pipes 17 and 18, by meansfof which a single street (fitted with permanent pilot jets) may be lighted in the case of re.

It is to be understood that the word valve in the following claims is intended to include a cock.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and vdesire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In apparatus for controlling the gas supply to gas burners at a distance, the combination with a valve controlling said gas supply and a vertically movable rod capable of rotation, of an arm carried A'by said rod,-and a pivoted lever provided with an inclined plane located in the path of said arm and adapted to be struck by said arm, whereby the said rod is rotated in its vertical movement and the said valve isoper ated, as set forth.

2. In apparatus for controlling the gas supply to gas burners at a distance, the combination with a valve controlling said gas supply and a vertically movable rod capable of rotation, of a plurality of arms carried by said rod, and a ivoted lever provided with'an inclined plane ocated in the path common to all of said armsand adapted to be struck 'by said arms successively, whereby said rod is vro- Y tated in its vertical movement and said valve is operated, as set forth.

3. In apparatus for controlling the gas supply to gas burners at a distance, thecombination with a valve controlling said gas supply, and a vertically movable rod capable of rotation, of a plurality of arms carried by said rod, an operating member having4 a triangular portion pivoted outside its center of gravity, and a pivoted counterweighted lever havingan inclined portion, whereby on the ascent of said rod one of said arms strikes against the inclined portion of said lever whereby said rod is rotated, and whereby on the descent of said rod the same arm is prevented from rotating in the backward ldirection by the triangular portionof said operating member, as set forth.

4. In apparatus for controlling the gas supply to gas burners at a distance, the come bination with a valve for controlling said gas supply, and a vertically movable rod capable of rotation, of a plurality of arms carried by said rod, means engaging said 4 arms for rotating said rod, and` means for transmitting motion from said arms to said valve, as set forth.

5. In apparatus for controlling the gas supply to gas burners at a distance, the cornbination with a reciprocating valve controllin said gas supply, and a vertically movale rod capable of rotation, of a plurality of arms carried by said rod,` means engaging said arms for rotating said rod, and means engaged by said rod in its ver- Y tical movement or operating said valve, as

set forth.

6. In apparatus for controlling the gas supply to burners at a distance, the combination with a reciprocating valve con# trollin said gas suppl and a vertically movabe rod capable o rotation, of a plurality of pins carried by said rod, a weighted lever connected to said valve and located over said pins, and means for rotating said rod automatically as it ascends, whereby said lever is struck by said pins alternately on each side of its fulcrum, to open and close said Valve as set forth. In testimony whereof I aHiX my signature, inpresence of two witnesses.

GOTTLOB HIMMEL. Witnesses:

JEAN GULDEN, HERM. HAPPEL. 

